Lots & Lots of Really Big Steam Trains: Smokin’ Down the Tracks!

Climate change has perhaps taken some of the romance out of America’s long love affair with coal-fueled trains. Except for children and the most ardent train enthusiasts, it’s likely that the first thing viewers of this slapped-together video scrapbook will see—in countless shots of moving locomotives—is the fury with which black smoke churns from engine cars, leaving long clouds of particles floating upward. Still, trains remain a grand sight to see coming round the bend, and this compilation of found footage, stock footage, and likely some original shots of trains chugging along day and night in all sorts of rural or edge-of-town environments serves up a visual smorgasbord backed by sing-along train songs that remind viewers of how ubiquitous this mode of transportation and shipping has been since the 19th century. Also featuring the bonus segment "Nothing But Steam Trains," this addition to the popular Lots & Lots series is recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)